Pepper's normalcy
by Millipher Steerus
Summary: "Coming home to the expected wasn't normal any more. That was probably what Pepper missed the most, the normalcy. Don't get her wrong, it wasn't fresh news to her that Tony wasn't normal. He was a superhero genius who built robots in his spare time" Fanfic about the different events Pepper has come home to whilst her and Tony live in the Tower with the Avengers.


Coming home wasn't normal anymore.

That was probably what Pepper missed the most, the normalcy. Don't get her wrong, it wasn't fresh news to her that Tony wasn't normal. He was a superhero genius who built robots in his spare time, and whose best friends consisted mainly of spies, Norse Gods and super humans.

Pepper's heels echoed across the marble floor as she crossed the lobby of the Avengers tower. The security recognized her instantly and let her through without having to show her I.D. If she had been an imposter though she wouldn't have made it past the first floor. Tony had recently installed security measures in the lifts, which meant only the Avengers, Pepper and a few select others could get in.

She reached the lift and had to juggle some of the documents in her arms so she could hit the call button. The lift arrived instantly and she stepped inside.

As soon as the door closed Pepper started to wonder what new delights would be waiting for her upstairs. She was passing the third floor when she remembered what she'd come home to just last week and hoped it wouldn't be as bad as that.

Pepper had thankfully had a relatively short day that day. The two meetings she'd had were both pleasant with polite people who'd clearly all gotten up on the right side of the bed that day. They also didn't drag on for very long which was a blessing unto itself. Also her final meeting with the board of financers was thankfully cancelled. With few emails to sort through or papers to read she decided to head home early and surprise Tony. This was, as she was later to discover, perhaps not such a good plan.

The elevator doors had opened on the top floor of the tower to reveal what Pepper could only describe as complete chaos. The entire floor was in complete disarray, with sofa's overturned and furniture on its side. Her mind instantly jumped to the conclusion that someone had broken in and her heart started to race at the thought of Tony potentially being injured - or worse. As this thought flitted through her mind though she noticed the slight layer of white powder that coated several surfaces, and, on closer inspection she could make out splatters of clumped white sludge dripping down the walls. She frowned and stepped forward only to step on a paper towel coated in the stuff. She bit back a squeal; these were her favourite louboutin's after all, and attempted to shake the mess off her shoe.

There was then a loud thud from the adjourning room and a mad cackle that she sadly knew all too well. Her earlier concerns for her boyfriend were slowly dissipating and turning into annoyance. If he was responsible for this monstrosity, so help him.

Pepper was about to ask Jarvis what had happened and where her other half could be found when the door to the other room burst open and Clint came running out. He jumped over the nearest sofa with a practiced ease and launched what Pepper could only identify as paper towel gloop towards Tony, who had sprinted out after him. Tony must have anticipated the throw because he ducked down and skidded across the floor and threw a paper towel of his own. It missed Clint by inches, who'd already taken refuge behind the coffee table. Tony was readying to throw another when Pepper decided it was time to put an end to this madness.

"Antony Edward Stark!"

Tony shot up like a bolt, turning to face Pepper with a pleasantly false smile on his face. He kept the paper towel behind his back, almost as if hoped Pepper would forget its existence if it was hidden from view. This may have worked if the evidence wasn't all over his hair and clothes as well.

"Pepper – you're home early. Nice day at work?"

Pepper ignored the question, "- what on Earth - " She stepped forward and landed in the gloop once more. She shut her eyes briefly in irritation and then continued. "- is this mess?!"

"Spring cleaning?" Tony ventured.

Pepper didn't want to acknowledge the answer. She lifted her shoe out of the sludge once more. "If this is some laboratory experiment, so help you - "

"Oh don't worry, it's only pancake mix."

"-Pancake mix? And why Tony, are you throwing Pancake mix?" Something flashed in Pepper's peripheral vision and if she had not been looking out for it she probably wouldn't have acknowledged it. "Mr Barton," she said. "Get back here."

She heard a sigh behind her and an equally disheveled looking spy came to stand next to Tony.

"Why were you throwing pancake batter?" She repeated the question.

"We were making pancakes." Tony responded.

Pepper couldn't believe what she was hearing, or seeing for that matter. Sure Tony was well known for being destructive, but this was a whole new level of immaturity. Perhaps what was so surprising was that it had gotten this bad. Surely one of the other's would have intervened?

"Where's Bruce?" She asked.

"Said something about meeting an old friend," Clint provided.

"Where's Steve?"

"Meeting with that coffee girl," Tony supplied.

Clint laughed a little but stopped when he met Pepper's stony glare.

"Natasha?"

"She's being debriefed at SHIELD."

Pepper nearly asked about Thor but then realized that for all his niceties Thor could have potentially made this situation so much worse. He still seemed to struggle with basic human concepts, and if invited to throw pancake batter around the tower he would have probably joined in without a second's hesitation. The tower would probably look worse for wear if he'd been present also.

Pepper sighed, She still couldn't understand what would drive two full-grown men to such madness, but she felt like she never would. She just wanted it fixed and a guarantee that nothing this ridiculous would happen again. She'd have to make a new rule about Tony and Clint being left alone in the tower unsupervised, especially in the kitchen.

"Clean this up," she said. "And Tony, you will be accompanying me to the board of directors meeting tomorrow, and you're not to go into your workshop for the rest of the week." It was only two days, but by the look on Tony's face Pepper had just suggested that he give her one of his limbs.

"But Pep!"

"And if you so much as override Jarvis I'll hold something else back."

Clint couldn't hold back a laugh.

"And Mr Barton," his amusement was cut short. "You're not allowed in the training rooms for the remainder of the week, and next time Thor needs the shower explained to him again, you will help him."

"What!" his face fell. "He started it!" he pointed an accusatory finger at Tony.

"Did not!" Tony responded quick fire.

"Did too!"

Pepper couldn't quite believe her eyes. Was she genuinely dealing with eight year olds?

"If you're going to act like children I will treat you like children," she cut across them, and with that she turned and headed towards the room she shared with Tony.

After that day, a whole set of new rules had been drawn up and discussed. Clint and Tony were never allowed to be in the tower on their own ever again. They were also not allowed to make pancakes unsupervised or use the living room as a battle ground for whatever game they next cooked up. They could go crazy in the training rooms, just not the communal areas.

Only the sofa had needed to be replaced in the end as well. The pillows had practically been cemented together with pancake batter and it made an unnerving crunching sound when sat on. The walls had needed repainting too, but other than that the cleanup wasn't as bad or as extensive as Pepper had originally thought.

Tony and Clint had been so unbelievably unbearable with the training room and workshop being taken away from them that Pepper had had to concede on the second day before they drove all the other occupants of the tower insane. She was pretty certain they would never pull such a stupid stunt again though. She hoped at least.

**Here's chapter one, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave any comments and reviews. **

**I've got more to come and I'm halfway through chapter two at the moment so it should be up soon. Many thanks and all that,**

**Millipher Steerus **


End file.
